My tupuna and why I will remember them

During ANZAC weekend I learnt about my tupuna.

My great granddad, Tiaki Parata, was a Lance Corporal and part of C Company of the 28th Māori Battalion.  C Company was one of five companies within the 28th Māori Battalion. C Company was formed by volunteers from Tōrere around the East Coast to Muriwai taking in the tribal groupings of Ngāi Tai, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Māhaki and Ngai Tamanuhiri.

My great granddad is from Te Whānau a Apanui, which also makes me Te Whānau a Apanui.

My great, great, great granddad, Henare Mokena Kohere, was a Second Lieutenant and part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces and Maori Pioneer Battalion.  On 14 September, while taking part in one of the night raids during the battle of Somme, Henare was wounded.  Peter Buck, a major in the battalion, visited him, asking 'Kei te pehea koe, Kohere?' (How are you?) 'Ka nui te kino' (Things are very bad), Kohere replied. He is buried in France.

My Papa Henare Mokena Kohere was a man of dignity who was held in high esteem and greatly respected by all ranks of the armed forces. A great tangihanga held by Ngati Porou mourned his passing. He is honoured by many marae throughout Ngati Porou. A waiata tangi composed by Sir Apirana Ngata for the Maori soldiers of the Pioneer Battalion refers to the East Coast contingent and to Papa Henare Kohere; it became very popular throughout all tribes:

E te Ope Tuarua,	The Second Party
No Mahaki rawa,	Came from Mahaki,
Na Hauiti koe,	From Hauiti also,
Na Porourangi.	And from Porourangi,
I haere ai Henare	When Henare went
Me to “wiwi.”	And his “wiwi.” (“Wiwi,” a Ngati-Porou colloquialism, meaning a party of young people.)
I putu ki te pakanga,	With misfortune they metPAGE 79
Ki Paranihi ra ia.	On the plains of France.
Ko wai hei morehu,	Was any left to bring
Hei kawe korero,	News and message
Ki te iwi nui e.	To all at home?
Taukiri e!	Alas! alas!

For ANZAC this year, I created paper Poppies using coffee filters and food colouring and paint to dye the paper.

After I made the poppies, I wrote a few of my favourite words from The Fallen poem by Laurence Binyon and I wrote my Papa's names and their rank and which World War they fought in.

I then decorated my room with the poppies so I can remember my Papas.